Movie power rankings: ‘Veronica Mars’ kickstarts to the top spot

This list is usually topped by blockbuster film franchises like “Star Wars,” “Avatar,” “Star Trek” or the Marvel films, but fans should’t be too surprised to see “Veronica Mars” at the No. 1 spot this week. Did we see a possible future for movie financing last week when fans of the show coughed up millions of dollars to help fund a feature version of the defunct cult series? Creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell took to Kickstarter to try to raise enough funds for the film. And, oh boy, did they raise the funds. The potential project broke records for the site, and “Veronica” has racked up nearly $4 million so far, with plenty of time to go. What will this mean for the future of cult TV shows and films? Will crowd-sourced coinage ever become the norm for feature films? The “Mars” movie is still quite a ways off, but the repercussions of the move will likely be felt for years to come.

1. “Veronica Mars” (Last week: Not ranked)
How much did you contribute?

2. “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (Last week: Not ranked)
Halle Berry’s back as Storm, Daniel Cudmore is returning as Colossus, and Fan Binbbing is joining as Blink. It’s one big happy family, including a bearded (?) Professor X.

3. “Spring Breakers” (Last week: Not ranked)
Harmony Korine’s satiric ode to questionable college choices cleaned up in limited release. And the presence of stars Selena Gomez, James Franco, Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens is helping the film break though to mainstream audiences. Spring break 4-eva.

5. “Kick -Ass 2” (Last week: Not ranked)
What’s one way to make the sequel even crazier than the gleefully ultra-violent original? By adding Jim Carrey as a crazed vigilante, of course. Check him out in the film’s first trailer.

6. “Pacific Rim” (Last week: Not ranked)
just how big are the giant monsters and robots going to be in Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming action epic? These two brand new images from the film give you a hint. Watch out, Godzilla.

7. “Jurassic Park 4” (Last week: Not ranked)
He’s not quite as famous as Steven Spielberg, by “Safety Not Guaranteed” helmer Colin Trevorrow was selected to direct the long-awaited fourth installment.

8. “The Wolverine” (Last week: Not ranked)
We’ll *finally* get a look at the new Hugh Jackman movie when the trailer is unleashed May 27. It has something to do with a mutating rodent-like former-man or something.

Check out last week’s Movie Power Rankings here. What do you think of this week’s rankings? Share your thoughts below. Or tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #moviepowerrankings and tell us who you want to see in next week’s edition.